OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 6, 2020) – Sue Bird endured four surgeries in six years. Peyton Manning had multiple neck surgeries and spinal fusion surgery. Serena Williams deals with recurring shoulder and knee injuries.
 
Each of these successful athletes have been told they would never play again due to injury and surgeries. Yet each of them returned and recorded three of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
 
Add Oklahoma Christian junior basketball player Ali Christie to the list. After missing last season while dealing with an injury that required two surgeries and could have ended her playing career, she's eager to return to the court this season for the Lady Eagles.
 
Christie, from Fort Gibson in eastern Oklahoma, comes from an athletic family. Her father, Jason Christie, played basketball at Northeastern State, coached basketball for a number of years and now competes in Major League Fishing.
 
Following in her father's footsteps, Ali Christie started playing basketball when she was five on a club team called Hot Shots. Christie said her beginnings with the Hot Shots, and watching her dad coach basketball, ignited a deep passion for the game.
 
"I think the root of my love for basketball comes through all of the memories I have through it," Christie said. "I spent almost all of my time as a kid in the gym with my dad when he was a basketball coach and I loved the atmosphere at games and practices. It's taught me discipline, hard work and pushed me outside of my comfort zone at times, all of which have made me into the person I am today."
 
Christie attended Fort Gibson High School, where she competed in basketball and slow-pitch softball, playing on teams in both sports that advanced to state tournaments.
 
For basketball, Christie was coached at Fort Gibson by former OC player Jerry Walker. Fort Gibson qualified for the state tournament in each of Christie's four seasons, winning the Class 4A title her freshman season and finishing as the runner-up her senior season to Harrah, which was led by her future OC teammate, Maddison Collyer.

Christie made the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State basketball team as a senior. She also played in the Oklahoma Class 6A slow-pitch softball tournament her senior year and was named to the All-State team in that sport.
 
Christie said her greatest achievement in high school was beating the No. 1-ranked basketball teams in Classes 3A, 5A and 6A in Oklahoma to win the Tournament of Champions her senior season.
 
Although an outstanding athlete in both sports, Christie said she decided to pursue basketball after college, because of her high school coach, Walker.
 
"I felt like I really fell in love with the game once I started playing for him," Christie said. "I wasn't ready to give it up after high school." 
 
The 5-foot-9 Christie set her sights on continuing her basketball career at a small college in Kansas. However, during her senior season, two schools closer to home reached out to her. With two younger sisters still at home, Christie wanted to stay close to them, so she decided to tour OC and visit with coach Stephanie Findley.
 
"My immediate draw to Oklahoma Christian began when I spent the day with coach Findley during my visit," Christie said. "I felt like she valued my character in addition to what kind of basketball player I was. I also appreciated the Christian atmosphere Oklahoma Christian has. After learning about how good the biology department was, which is what I wanted to major in, it definitely felt like the best place for me to grow as a student, basketball player and person."
 
Findley said Christie's ability to shoot the 3-pointer well first garnered her interest, but Christie's attitude convinced Findley to sign her.
 
"She is tall for a guard, which is a bonus," Findley said. "She was a really good rebounder too and I felt she was just a well-rounded player. She was also an excellent student which is something I value. The convincing factor was her coach's recommendation on her work ethic and toughness. He was extremely high on her and I have much respect for his opinion."
 
Christie's freshman and sophomore seasons at OC went well. She played in 23 and 20 games, respectively, averaging 1.7 points per game. Her career scoring high came her sophomore season against Mid-America Christian, when she scored eight points.
 
However, during her sophomore season, Christie began to feel persistent pain in one of her shoulders. At the beginning of what would have been her junior season, she was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
 
According to the Mayo Clinic, thoracic outlet syndrome is a "group of disorders that occur when certain blood vessels or nerves are compressed, affecting the space between the collarbone and first rib."
 
Christie decided to take a year off to focus on her health, during which she underwent rib resection surgery and pec minor release surgery. Christie said from what doctors had told her, and because of the surgeries, she thought she had already played her last season of basketball.
 
"I thought my sophomore year was going to be my last year playing basketball because of my injury," Christie said. "I was very bitter about the fact I didn't get to play to my best potential my sophomore year. As soon as my surgery was over, I got so excited about the thought of playing again and I felt like I owed it to myself to try."
 
Christie has been diligently rehabbing and working hard to get back on the court as soon as possible. She said it is something she thinks about every single day.
 
"I am so ready to play," Christie said. "It's something I think about every day, as I am still in the recovery process. I want to be the player that my teammates and coaches can always count on to give 110 percent. I am focusing a lot on my defensive effort and shooting percentage."

Findley said Christie's attitude and perseverance throughout the process has been inspiring to witness and she cannot wait for Christie to back on the court again.
 
"The game has been taken away from her and she passionately wants to return," Findley said. "Many take the opportunity for granted. She does not, and that shows in her leadership and work ethic.

"Her humility and love for the game are great examples for the other kids. She just wants to help the team be successful in any way possible. She asks what she can do for the team, unlike others who only ask what the team can do for me. I love her and long for the day when she is totally healthy."
 
Christie said her coaches and teammates, along with the love for the game, are the biggest reasons she fought, and continues to fight hard, to return to the court.
 
"Some of the best people I've ever met and played with are my teammates at Oklahoma Christian," Christie said. "I feel extremely grateful to attend a program where I can be surrounded by people who share the same values as me, including the coaches. The girls are so good about being encouraging to each other and the coaches are able to contribute to that energy as well."